This week I am happy to introduce you to Flavio, an Italian that fell in love with Mexican food many years ago, and I think it is obvious why he is now married to a Mexican woman for more than ten years. I used to complain about not finding some of my favorite produce or ingredients to cook authentic Mexican Food, but when I knew Flavio and browsed his blog full of recipes made in a traditional old fashion way and living so far away from México, then I stop complaining. Flavio’s blog also has a nice selection of Mexican bread recipes which he bakes in his portable wood oven just out of his balcony. Go check it out HERE!

Why is an Italian cooking Mexican food in Italy? Well the truth is that it is a challenge in a country where foreign food is successful only if it gets in fashion or if it is less expensive than Italian food and since Mexican cuisine in Italy is perceived as burritos, fajitas and nachos topped with yellow cheese, it is a real struggle because the lack of authentic ingredients required me to find resources to buy them in ways that are anything but cheap.

If México has green tomatoes and serrano peppers in every corner of the city, here to find them you have to plant them yourself in your garden or in a few pots.

But in the end this is a great advantage: when you harvest your peppers and tomatoes to prepare a tasty Green Pipián as the one presented here thanks to my dear friend Mely, you realize that it was worth getting the seeds, care for the seedlings, water them every day because someone across the world will appreciate what you do.

And if my love for Mexican food wasn’t enough my birthday falls the day México celebrates it’s Independence Day, therefore my gastronomic destiny was already written before I was born.

As in Italy you can’t find green tomatoes-tomatillos, I had to plant them in pots to cook Pipian Verde. Tomatillos are a key ingredient to various types of Green Pipian recipes I’ve tried, this is the one I prefer for its bittersweet taste.

In México it is very easy to get the pumpkin seeds already clean, unlike in Italy where one has to buy roasted pumpkin seeds and remove the shell with lots of patience, you can easily spend 3-4 hours just in that process.

If you want to add the Poblano pepper in this recipe, which gives the dish a special flavor, you will have to roast the pepper in the fire and then wrap it in a plastic bag to “sweat” after 15 minutes clean the pepper by removing the skin and seeds.

1. Place the meat, onion, carrots, bay leave, garlic, nutmeg and marjoram in a large pot and cover with water and cook for about 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.

When the seeds are cold or warm, is ground into a fine powders. If you do not have a mill to process the seeds, can be liquefied after the other ingredients together, but then the sauce will have a texture more fat.

2. While the meat is cooking prepare the Pipian Sauce. In a frying pan greased with a little oil roast the pumpkin seeds over low heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning them and when the seeds start popping, turn off the heat and set aside to cool. When the seeds had cool down, ground in your spice grinder until you obtain a fine powder. If you do not have a spice grinder, the seeds can be process later on in a blender together with the other ingredients for sauce but then final result of the sauce will have a grainy texture. Just process some extra seconds to get a fine sauce.

3. Meanwhile in a large pot big enough to fit the meat, start roasting the tomatos, serrano peppers, garlic cloves and poblano pepper with 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Turn the tomatoes and peppers occasional to roast evenly. When they are well roasted and cook, add salt and about a 1/4 cup of the meat broth or water. Then add the grinded seeds. Add more broth or water is needed, do not let it to get dry, the sauce at this stage should be very liquid.

4. After half an hour if you have a blender, food processor or an immersion blender the kind that can be used inside the pot, blend the ingredients to form a smooth sauce then add the meat. Simmer to finish cooking the sauce.
The Pipian Sauce will be ready when the sauce gets thick and has formed bright green puddles.

Serve with corn tortillas. You can also add small pieces of cooked zucchini and green beans to the sauce.

Reader Interactions

Comments

This is a great post. Not only for the scrumptious recipe but also for the great adventure of growing Mexican produce and looking to find the right ingredients to prepare a perfect pipian. This just shows that when there is a taste for good and authentic Mexican food, there is no reason to settle for anything less then the best, even when you live on the other side of the world. Hurray for Flavio!

Mely,thank you very much for hosting this entry, as you know this is one of my favorite mexican recipes so I am glad to share it with your friends and I really enjoyed that you prepared it for your family.

Hi Mely,I can't wait to make this recipe that is so full of wonderful flavor. It just looks awesome! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a great week!Come Back Soon,Miz Helen

What a wonderful post and a delicious new sauce recipe for me to try, as well! Love, love, love tomatillos. It has been a pleasure to be introduced to Flavio and I look forward to visiting his blog. Thank you so much for hosting this series, Mely. I am enjoying it so much! Have a beautiful day, Candace

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¡HOLA!

Hi, I’m Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes of authentic Mexican food. Read more…